Byron Taylor facing jail after false Gloucester rioters claims

THREE innocent people were arrested after Byron Taylor, falsely accused them of being involved in last summer's city disturbances, a court heard.

Taylor made three calls to police naming Ben Boswell and members of his family as rioters, Gloucester crown court was told.

Prosecutor Lisa Hennessy said he did it because he was involved in a dispute with Mr Boswell and decided to try to land him 'in some pretty serious trouble'.

But she told the court Ben Boswell had not done anything wrong on the night of the Gloucester trouble last August and his relatives were innocently at home.

The 20-year-old, of Kingsbarton Street, Gloucester, had pleaded not guilty in May this year to perverting the course of justice on August 10 20111 by making false allegations against the family.

He was due to stand trial yesterday but at the last minute pleaded guilty.

His defence said it was the presence of the jury that made him see the light. Judge Jamie Tabor QC told them: "It was the fact he knew he was going to have to tell you a pack of lies and you were not going to believe it."

He warned Taylor he faces jail.

"This is a serious matter – three people were locked up because of him," he said.

Mrs Hennessy told the court it was an attempt to land a group of people, a family with whom he was in dispute, in some 'pretty serious trouble'.

"It was the night of the riots in Gloucester. One of the members of this family, Ben Boswell, was in the street and CCTV throughout that evening shows that although he was watching what was going on he did nothing wrong.

"The other members of his family were at home and knew no more about the rioting than anyone else watching it on TV.

"The defendant made various phone calls to the police naming members of the family and saying they were inciting the riots and had sent Blackberry messages to get people going."

She added: "He alleged various criminal acts to do with the riots all of which were false."

"The Crown accepts his plea on the basis that there had been trouble between him and this family."

Charles Hamer, defending, apologised to waiting jurors that they had apparently had a wasted day. Taylor will be sentenced on December 7.